1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing change, which is suitable for preparation of desired amounts and types of change, and to a cash supply apparatus for packing a desired amount and type of coins and bills.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 10-174164, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Stores handling cash put the sales in banks, which calculate the sales. Recently, the amount of cash put in the banks by large stores has increased, and there are security problems when the sales are put in night safe boxes. Therefore, business service companies or security companies collect the sales from the stores, and integrated processing centers calculate the sales.
The integrated processing centers must prepare cash which the dealers uses for change on the next day (hereinafter simply referred to as xe2x80x9cchangexe2x80x9d). Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 9-147184 discloses an apparatus for dispensing change.
In the disclosed apparatus for dispensing change, a cash deliverer delivers cash to a change box transferred by a conveyer. Then the cash, which is loaded into the change box, must be manually transferred into a bag.
There is the problem that the disclosed apparatus for dispensing change increases the labor costs because the cash is manually transferred from the change box to the bag. To avoid this, the cash may not be delivered in the change box but may be directly packed. In such apparatus, however, when packing a large amount of cash in one pack, the cash may overflow from the pack, or an overweight pack may accidentally fall from the apparatus.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for dispensing change which can pack cash in a pack to reliably produce a change pack.
In order to accomplish the above object, the apparatus for dispensing change and packing cash in a change pack, comprises: a data input device for inputting change data; a change data divider for calculating an amount of cash corresponding to the change data based on the change data input from the data input device, comparing the calculated amount of cash with a predetermined reference value, and dividing the change data into a plurality of pack data so that the amount of cash corresponding to each divided change data is below the reference value, when the calculated amount of cash exceeds the reference value; and a change pack producer for producing the change pack based on the change data when the change data is not divided, and producing the change pack based on the divided pack data when the change data is divided by the change data divider.
According to the present invention, when there is a large amount of cash, the apparatus divides the cash and pack the coins and bills into a plurality of change packs. Therefore, the apparatus prevents the overflow of cash from the pack, and prevents the packs from accidentally falling from the apparatus.
The change data divider divides the change data into a plurality of pack data so that the same type of cash is included in the same divided pack data, except when the amount of the type of cash exceeds the reference value. This apparatus prevents the same type of cash from being packed in two or more packs, except when the amount of the type of cash exceeds the reference value.
The apparatus further comprises: a labeler for printing the contents of the change data on a label and adhering the label on the change pack when the change data does not divide the change data, and for printing the contents of each pack data on the label and adhering the labels on the corresponding change packs when the change data divider divides the change data into a plurality of pack data. According to the present invention, the contents of the change pack can be indicated by the label.
The labeler prints the reference weight of the change pack, calculated based on the change data, on the label, when the change data divider does not divide the change data, and prints the reference weights of the change packs, calculated based on the pack data, on the labels, when the change data divider divides the change data into a plurality of pack data. According to the present invention, the reference weight of cash in the change pack can be easily confirmed by the label.
The labeler prints the identification of division of the change data, and derivation of the pack data from the same change data on the labels, when the change data divider divides the change data. From the label on the change pack, an operator can easily confirm whether the change data is divided, and can easily identify the other packs derived from the same change data.
The change data is input to the data input device by contractor, store, or cash register. Therefore, in response to the input of the change data by contractor, the cash is divided if necessary., and the change pack can be prepared for each contractor. In response to the input of the change data by store, the cash is divided if necessary, and the change packs can be prepared for each store. In response to the input of the change data by cash-register, the cash is divided if necessary, and the change packs can be prepared for each cash-register.